The dreaded summer months. Until college football kicks off Labor Day weekend, we all have to be patient while hoping the depth charts of our favorite teams do not need to be reshuffled due to injury or suspension. While most teams reach opening day without too much turmoil--after all, while the examples of players getting arrested or suspended or injured seem to number a few dozen, the actual number of kids playing college football is so great that the percentage of players lost in the off season is extremely low--a program can really get sidetracked by the losses. Think UCLA in 2008 when the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart were lost to injury. I can remember as a young fan of the sport, in 1974, when Notre Dame's hopes to repeat as national champions were severely impacted by the loss of seven starters due to suspension, injury and transfer during the time period between January and September. The best college programs have the depth to withstand injury, as Virginia Tech proved one year ago by turning to young Ryan Williams to replace star running back Darren Evans when Evans tore an ACL last August, but a rash of losses can overcome even the best squads.
So while you are watching a baseball game or two or catching up on some reading, keep an eye on the coverage of your favorite team. At this time of the year, no news is good news.
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